All Hail Cousin Brother

Chapter 496: Wronged

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

The other piece was about the same size. It was flat and jade-like. It was more detailed. It was green and white, and the stone patterns were like lotuses. It was very elegant.

The most strange thing was the last piece. It was a little smaller and was about a meter. However, it was green in color and looked like an emerald leaf.

Matriarch Yu couldn’t help but praise, “It’s really an eye-opener.”

The Dragon Resting Stone had the word “dragon” in it and was produced on Mount Wutai. It was also related to Buddha and was considered a type of precious stone in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Due to the cold nature of the stone, the royal family valued it.

In the imperial mausoleum and palace, there was no lack of Dragon Resting Stones. High-quality Dragon Resting Stones were rare, and the royal family did not have any regulations regarding it.

Yu Zongshen also said, “Mount Tai has magnificent rock formations. It’s not elegant, but a Dragon Resting Stone is elegant. The two have their own charms. It’s strange and wonderful.”

There were many landscape stones in the Yu Residence. These stones were gathered from all over the Five Mountains and were mostly used for Feng Shui landscapes.

The Dragon Resting Stones were generally used to build houses. The best ones were more suitable to be placed indoors as decorations.

Matriarch Yu tilted her head to look at Yu Youyao. “Your cousin returned from a trip to Youzhou and found a few Dragon Resting Stones. I’m afraid it’s because of you?

After interacting with him for a long time, she knew that Zhou Linghuai had a cold personality. Such a big gift was definitely not something he could do himself.

Yu Youyao glared at her. “No, I didn’t. Grandmother, you can’t accuse me wrongly. Cousin wanted to give me the Dragon Resting Stones. I didn’t know about it before. How did it become my doing? Am I that kind of person?”

Matriarch Yu did not wrong her. “That’s not it!”

Before Yu Youyao could be happy, she heard her grandmother add, “However, once you say to your cousin, that might not be the case.”

Zhou Linghuai doted on Yu Youyao and agreed to everything she asked. Everyone in the family knew this.

“I didn’t.” Yu Youyao puffed up her cheeks. In order not to continue being wronged by her grandmother, she hurriedly explained, “It was in May that the weather was abnormally hot. I just complained that the weather was hot and Nanny Xu said I wasn’t allowed to use ice. Cousin probably took it to heart. When I returned to Youzhou, I found my old friend and went to Mount Wutai to find a few Dragon Resting Stones. I didn’t make it up.”

She did not ask her cousin to work hard and transport the Dragon Resting Stones into the capital.

Matriarch Yu glanced at her from the corner of her eye with an expression that said, “I knew it. You’re making a fuss about using ice in May. If this isn’t pretense, what is? I’m afraid your cousin saw that you were suffering in summer and was worried that you would use too much ice in the summer. You might catch a cold, so he went to look for the Dragon Resting Stones.”

Forget it, she should just shut up. This was making things worse. Yu Youyao pouted, feeling that she had been wronged.

Madam Yao pinched her handkerchief and laughed. “The two of them are as close as biological siblings.”

However, she felt that even her biological siblings could not compare to them.

When Matriarch Yu heard this, she was delighted. “Our Yao Yao has been blessed since she was young.”

Yu Zongshen’s smile faded, but it remained on the corner of his mouth.

Probably no one would say that a eldest daughter who lost her mother was blessed. The so-called “blessing” was just because she had nothing to rely on and was forced to grow up.

Zhou Linghuai transported a lot of Dragon Resting Stones into the residence. In addition to the three best pieces, there were also some smaller ones.

Zhou Linghuai was quite thorough in his dealings, and no one could find fault with his methods. However, his words and actions inevitably revealed that he put himself first.

When it came to the best things in other families, he was expected to be filial to their elders first. The remaining things that the elders chose were for the younger generation.

When it came to him, the rest that Yu Youyao chose belonged to her elders.

It was obvious without thinking that the best of these Dragon Resting Stones would definitely be given to Yu Youyao. The inferior ones would be given to the various courtyards in the residence.

He openly favored Yu Youyao and was not afraid of comments.

Such people often did as they pleased. It was enviable.

He had always wanted to treat someone like this.

He had thought of all the obstacles that the world had placed on him and was prepared to eliminate them one by one. However, he had forgotten that the greatest obstacle had never been the so-called outsiders.

Instead, it was the betrayal and schemes of his closest family!

Matriarch Yu turned to look at Yu Zongshen and said, “It’s the Laba Festival today. Since you’re all here, why don’t you stay in the main house for a table of Laba dishes before leaving?

During King Li’s funeral, the banquet was not allowed, so there was no harm in having a meal at home.

Previously, she had also thought that Second Brother had been very busy in the previous court recently. It wasn’t easy for the family to celebrate the Laba Festival together so she didn’t call him over.

Yu Zongshen’s smile did not change. “No, I still have something to do in my study, so I’ll leave first.”

Without waiting for Madam Yao, he left first.

Madam Yao looked at Yu Zongshen, who was wearing a large cloak and walking in the wind and snow. He was getting further and further away. He was clearly someone close to her, but he felt like a distant stranger.

On such a cold day, even her eyes felt a little hot.

Matriarch Yu couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. The smile on her face disappeared. No matter how rare the Dragon Resting Stones were, she couldn’t look at them anymore. She only felt that the coldness had seeped into her heart.

Nanny Liu helped Old Madam back to An Shou Hall.

There were more than ten stones of various sizes in the residence.

An escort was also polite and specially asked, “These stones are very heavy. Do you need to move them to the residence?

The escorts were all people from all walks of life, so Yu Youyao shook her head. “Thank you for your hard work. It’s cold, so go back and rest early. There’s no need to trouble you anymore.”

With that, she asked Xia Tao to give them the silver.

After the escorts left, Yu Youyao found the guards in the residence and gave each of them two taels of silver, asking them to help carry the Dragon Resting Stones back to the Green House.

Although the Dragon Resting Stones were for her, she still had to make some carvings.

After settling this matter, Yu Youyao returned to the Jade Courtyard.

Zhou Linghuai was sitting in the hall and reading. When he saw that Yu Youyao had returned, he closed the book. “You’re back. Is it cold outside?”

Xia Tao helped Yu Youyao take off her cloak.

Yu Youyao quickly went to her cousin’s side to warm herself by the fire. “I only went out for a walk. My nose is about to freeze off! Not long after the snow fell, it became heavier and heavier, and there was a layer of white on the ground. Looking at the weather, it will definitely snow for a few more days.”

Zhou Linghuai handed her a cup of red date ginger tea. “Drink it while it’s hot.

It’ll warm your body and make you feel less cold.”

Yu Youyao was a little reluctant, but she still took it.

After finishing the cup of red date ginger tea, Yu Youyao’s body quickly warmed up a little. “By the way, I almost forgot. I have something for Cousin too. Cousin, wait for me. I’ll get it immediately.”

Before Zhou Linghuai could react, Yu Youyao had already run out of the house with her dress..